Viewing PDF files through the WebViewer

[Harvey McArthur]

I want to be able to have users view PDF files through a WebViewer in a FileMaker database. The PDF files are stored on the same server as the database, the path to the file is stored in the database. So the user clicks on the file name visible in the FileMaker layout and a script sets the WebViewer to a PHP program and provides it with the parameters needed to find the file. The PDF is supposed to open in the WebViewer using Adobe Reader (or Acrobat if the user has that). This works fine in Safari, but Firefox downloads the file and opens it in another window.

Is there a different PHP method to force the PDF to display in the WebViewer?

Currently, I'm using

header('Location: http://".$WebRootPath."/Pathfinder_Reviews_Files/'.$ViewFileName);

[fseipel]

Is this problem occurring on Mac or PC? Since you are listed as Mac, I'm assuming it's Mac.

The next question is, does this have anything to do with PHP? I'm assuming it doesn't, but, to confirm that, in Internet Explorer or Webviewer, go to a typical web page, and click on an Acrobat file, and see if it renders within Explorer or attempts to open Acrobat. I suspect it will open Acrobat.

If you are running on a Mac platform, the problem is most likely that Internet Explorer (on which webviewer is based) is not configured to use Adobe Acrobat as a helper application. This Adobe technote covers this scenario: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/328/328637.html

The other possibility is that you are running OS 10.3 with Acrobat 7; per KB above, 'viewing PDF files iwthin the browser using Internet Explorer for Mac OS X is not supported with Acrobat 7.0'. So you could use a different version, or another helper application if such exist for OSX to render the PDF within Explorer/webviewer. This KB also explains 'Acrobat products can open PDF files within the browser only using Safari on Mac OS 10.3 or later' perhaps explaining why Safari works.